07:28 pm - Random grumblingWho on earth wakes up in the morning and thinks "Mmmm, I'd love to drink some grapefruit juice right now" ?Seriously, who ? And how does this then translate into that being the second juice choice after orange at many hotels (at one place in China, it was the first and only choice) ? And why do so few places have apple juice ?

Why do all the travel guides go into great detail about how to handle being invited into someone's home for dinner in foreign lands. Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you while travelling ?

Finally, once again, I must grumble about toast, as served by many hotels, although I'm starting to think I'm among a small minority who believes that at most a few seconds should pass between the toast exiting the toasting device and meeting its buttery fate.Current Mood:Not really all that grumpy

Yup, that was nice, although when we got exiled to one of the overflow breakfast rooms on Sunday morning, the toast was being brought through from somewhere (kitchen or room-with-conveyor-toaster I guess), and therefore cold (and also somewhat burnt) by the time it arrived.

My personal complaint is the lack of smoked bacon. In good hotels you get a choice of sausages, egg preparations, potato and bread products - but never bacon. An unscientific survey of my friends tells me its not as popular as the unsmoked kind but given that its sold in every supermarket (in the UK at least), why no lovely smoky bacon?

Really? I'm impressed. I've managed to meet people for tea, but that's pretty much been about it, unless it's been part of an organised plan that I haven't made. It's certainly never happened randomly.

I've never liked grapefruit juice, though the exceptionally sweet pink grapefruit juice in the US is almost drinkable.

I'd prefer to see pineapple juice more commonly offered, as it and orange juice are my highest breakfast preferences, with apple third.

In hotels, it's often more considered classier to provide staff to do things for the patrons. Toast is one of those things which just deteriorates with the delay and the DIY option is best for the best toast experience.

I've never liked Grapefruit juice, but my grandfather, on returning from WWII, announced how he had discovered a taste for them while in Europe, so he planted a tree in the backyard. Then, when it was in season, he insisted on grapefruit every morning for the rest of his life.

It's actually relatively common in the business sphere. Or at least it used to be. As a tourist it's far less likely, unless you've already made some passing contact via some means. In either case I'm talking about a stranger's home (on a personal level at least); with friends, even if you have never met them yet, hospitality is an entirely different matter (although I do hold to Franklin's statement that "after three days, both guests and fish begin to stink").

Now you have me wanting to measure the specific heat capacity of toast...